Knitting needle

ABSTRACT

A metallic knitting needle is disclosed that includes a knitting needle tip and a holding shaft. The knitting needle tip is used to entwine stitches. The holding shaft extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction. The holding shaft also has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle. The gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction. Each two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a knitting needle, in particular to a circular knitting needle, and to a method for producing a knitting needle. The present disclosure relates here to knitting needles from the manual work sector.

Description of the Related Art

Knitting needles are known in general. They are used for manual work, especially in order to knit items of clothing, such as, for example, scarves, socks or pullovers from an appropriate yarn. Knitting needles generally consist of coated steel, aluminum, brass, wood or plastic and are sold in various thicknesses, in particular of from 0.5 to 30 mm.

A differentiation is made between various types of knitting needles, such as, for example, cardigan knitting needles which have a pointed knitting needle tip and a knob-shaped knitting needle rear part so that the stitches cannot slip from the needle. Furthermore, circular knitting needles are known which consist of two shorter needles which are connected to each other by a cord. Conventional knitting needles generally have a round cross section.

The generally round cross section of the holding shaft of such conventional knitting needles provides only a small contact surface or gripping surface for introducing force. Due to the small contact surface or gripping surface for introducing force, an increased application of force by the hand or fingers of the respective user is necessary for holding and in particular also for preventing slipping of the knitting needle. The increased application of force may lead even to tenseness of the arm and back muscles, and therefore, during repeated knitting with such a knitting needle, health issues may arise for the user.

Furthermore, knitting needles made of wood or rigid plastic are known which have a holding shaft with a rectangular cross section. These provide an improved introduction of force by means of plane-parallel gripping surfaces in the region of the holding shaft, but furthermore also require such a high application of force, to prevent the knitting needles slipping in the hand or between the fingers of a user, that tenseness of the arm and back muscles may also continue to occur. Furthermore, the transition regions of in each case two gripping surfaces that are adjacent at a corner generally have sharp edges and thereby lead to pressure points on the users' fingers.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is therefore based on the object of addressing at least one of the problems mentioned. In particular, a solution is intended to be provided, in which the handling of knitting needles is improved and in particular the slipping of the knitting needle in a user's hand is reduced. An alternative solution to previously known solutions is intended at least to be proposed.

According to the disclosure, a knitting needle according to claim 1 is therefore proposed. Such a knitting needle comprises a knitting needle tip for entwining stitches, and a holding shaft which extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction and has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle, wherein the gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, and in each case two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region, namely at the corner. In said transition region, the two adjacent surfaces butt against each other at an angle and this region is rounded, and therefore the angle is rounded. In the case of three gripping surfaces, this is a 60° angle and, in the case of four gripping surfaces, a 90° angle. The gripping surfaces preferably extend along the holding shaft in the longitudinal direction and are preferably substantially flat.

The at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle provides a sufficient number of gripping surfaces which permit a planar and therefore optimized introduction of force and make the knitting needles more comfortable. The reduced application of force relieves the load on the arm and back muscles and counteracts tenseness and postural defects. By means of at least three gripping surfaces, a sufficient number of gripping surfaces is provided which permit the rotation of the knitting needle for knitting in the hand. The rounded transition region of in each case two adjacent gripping surfaces makes more comfortable handling of the knitting needles possible and pressure points due to sharp-edged transition regions are effectively avoided. By means of the plurality of elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, a resistance is furthermore created on the generally smooth gripping surfaces of the holding section, the resistance effectively inhibiting the slipping of the knitting needle in the longitudinal direction.

Preferably, the gripping surfaces have two or more elevations in order to effectively inhibit or to prevent the slipping. Particularly preferably, the plurality of elevations are arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces that substantially corresponds to the length of an average fingertip. The slip inhibition which is obtained by such elevations makes it possible for the knitting needle to be held with a reduced application of force by the user's fingers or hand without the knitting needle slipping in the hand.

According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the holding shaft has four gripping surfaces which are each arranged in pairs parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the holding shaft has a substantially square cross section. By means of four gripping surfaces which each have a plurality of the elevations, the shape of the knitting needle is similar to a round shape, but, because of the flattened gripping surfaces, permits good support in the hand. Furthermore, this design of the holding shaft enables a uniform introduction of force into in each case two gripping surfaces arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the force to be applied for holding the knitting needle can be reduced further.

In the present case, a cross section is understood as being substantially square which has four sides, wherein in each case two of the sides are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, wherein the transitions here from in each case two sides arranged adjacent to each other run at a right angle, which, however, is rounded. Each rounded angle therefore forms a rounded transition region via which in each case two sides are connected to each other.

According to a further refinement, at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces that is adjacent to the knitting needle tip and that may also be referred to as the front section. The disclosure makes use of the finding that the knitting needles are generally held in the shaft region close to the knitting needle tip. The remaining region substantially serves for holding stitches. At least a portion of the plurality of elevations is therefore to be arranged in this front section of the gripping surfaces of the holding shaft in order to effectively prevent the slipping. Preferably, all of the plurality of elevations are arranged in said front section of the gripping surfaces that is adjacent to the knitting needle point, and therefore the slipping of the stitches along the holding shaft in the rear section of the holding shaft is not obstructed by the elevations.

According to a preferred embodiment, in order to produce the holding shaft, in a deformation step a cylindrical, cross-sectionally circular, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed in such a manner that at least three pressing surfaces come into contact with the metal piece such that the at least three gripping surfaces are formed. Such a holding shaft therefore has a polygonal cross section depending on the number of pressing surfaces. The number of gripping surfaces therefore corresponds to the number of pressing surfaces.

Therefore, by means of substantially flat pressing surfaces, the metal piece is deformed at least in sections corresponding to the shape of the respective pressing surface, and the rounded shape of the cylindrical metal piece is furthermore maintained in regions of the metal piece that do not come into contact with the pressing surfaces. Furthermore, it is also possible, and provided within the scope of the disclosure, that the pressing surfaces come into contact successively with the metal piece, and that the holding shaft is produced by the metal piece coming successively into contact with one or more of the pressing surfaces in a plurality of deformation steps.

The pressing surfaces here can be, for example, part of a pipe working tool. Cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical metal pieces, such as, for example, pipes are introduced into such a tool and come into contact, for example, with what are referred to as jaws or rams, which have the pressing surfaces, in such a manner that the gripping surfaces of the holding shaft are shaped.

According to yet another embodiment, it is proposed that in the deformation step, the cylindrical metal piece is pressed in a pressing tool by at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces substantially simultaneously into a triangular, or square cross section with the rounded transition regions. Therefore, by means of a conventional forming tool, in particular pressing tool, such a holding shaft can be produced from a cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical metal piece in preferably a single deformation step.

According to one embodiment, the elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction are produced in a or the deformation step or in a further deformation step by a pressing surface or the pressing surfaces each having a corresponding recess for each of the elevations. The elevations can therefore be produced in a simple manner by means of the pressing by the pressing surfaces in the deformation step for producing the gripping surfaces. Furthermore, it is also possible to produce the elevations by means of a further pressing surface, which has the recesses, in a separate deformation step which follows the deformation step for producing the gripping surfaces. By means of such a following deformation step, various geometries of the elevations can be produced simply and flexibly.

According to a further refinement, the holding shaft has a shaft circumference U and the elevations are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and/or the elevations have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference U. The disclosure therefore takes into consideration in an advantageous manner that knitting needles which have a comparatively large shaft circumference U are used preferably by users having large hands. With larger hands, the fingertips are generally larger, and therefore the spacing A of the elevations from one another can be comparatively large, and at the same time still provides sufficient protection against slipping of the knitting needle.

An elevation spacing A which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U permits a sufficient number of elevations in the region of the fingertip, in which the knitting needle is held. By means of an elevation height H which increases depending on the shaft circumference U, even in the case of large knitting needles a sufficiently great resistance against slipping of the knitting needle is ensured.

Furthermore preferably, each rounded transition region in each case has a rounding radius R_(R) which is smaller than 1/10 and/or greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a or the shaft circumference, and/or the elevations each have in sections a partially cylindrical shape with an elevation radius R_(E) and are oriented transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction L, wherein the elevation radius R_(E) has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R_(R) of the rounded transition region. Therefore, firstly, gripping surfaces of sufficient size are provided, said gripping surfaces being connected by the transition regions, the rounding radius R_(R) of which is smaller than 1/10 of a or the shaft circumference U. By the rounding radius R_(R) being greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a or the shaft circumference, furthermore pleasant handling is ensured and in particular pressure points are avoided by avoiding sharp edges. A transition region with such a rounding radius R_(R) can be manufactured in a simple manner in the above-described deformation step. Furthermore, the shape and orientation of the elevations enable an ergonomically and visually advantageous form to be selected. By means of an elevation of the radius R_(E) which has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R_(R) of the rounded transition region, the slipping of the knitting needle in the user's hand is effectively prevented or inhibited, and at the same time a pleasant and gentle transition is created between the elevations and the substantially flat part of the gripping surfaces.

According to a further embodiment, the cylindrical metal piece comprises aluminum and/or copper and/or brass. Aluminum and in particular wrought aluminum alloys which contain copper can easily be worked and have a low density. Furthermore, other light and easily workable alloys, such as, for example, brass, which likewise contain copper are particularly advantageous for such a knitting needle. By means of the low weight of aluminum or aluminum alloys or else brass, knitting needles which comprise the metals or alloys mentioned are very light and sufficiently stable and provide pleasant comfort for knitting. Furthermore, the good heat conduction of aluminum, copper and brass induces a pleasant temperature of the knitting needles in the hand. This induces increased comfort during use of such knitting needles. In particular, the good workability is of particular relevance here in order to be able to form the elevations on the gripping surfaces.

Preferably, in order to produce the holding shaft, in the deformation step a hollow-cylindrical metal piece having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm is deformed. Therefore, the weight of the knitting needle is reduced further and consequently the comfort is increased. A wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm, at the same time provides a sufficient wall thickness for forming the elevations and furthermore permits the production of the gripping surfaces in the deformation step. A smaller wall thickness could lead to material damage during the forming operation or could prevent the formation of the elevation.

According to a further embodiment, the knitting needle tip is obtained by forming, in particular reducing an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine. In such rotary hammering machines, the cross section of a cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical metal piece is reduced by means of radially guided hammering tools which carry out hammering movements. In this case, the metal piece is formed or reduced by the cross section being reduced. The form of the hammering tools and the direction of the feed should be selected here depending on the desired final contour.

Forming tools of this type are also known as swaging tools or rotary swaging tools. Both in what is referred to as the feed process and in what is referred to as the piercing process, considerable forces arise, depending on the first angle of inclination of the forming tool or of a forming element of the forming tool, said forces acting on the workpiece in the axial direction such that the cross section is reduced. The reduced knitting needle tip which thus arises generally has a conical form tapering on the end side and merging into the holding shaft. The transition can thereby be produced without abutting edges, and therefore the stitches can easily slip over said transition. The production of the transition can thereby also be identified by way of the transition.

According to a further refinement, the knitting needle furthermore comprises a knitting needle rear part which is formed at an end of the holding shaft that faces away from the knitting needle tip, wherein the knitting needle rear part is shaped by forming, in particular reducing an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine. Such a knitting needle rear part therefore has increased strength and the stitches do not remain hanging on the knitting needle rear part because of the end-side reduction of the cross section. Furthermore, by means of such forming, the cross section of the knitting needle rear part can also be increased in order, for example, as is the case for cardigan knitting needles, to provide a thickened cross section which prevents the undesired slipping off of the stitches from the knitting needle.

According to a second aspect, the disclosure relates to a circular knitting needle. The object mentioned at the beginning is achieved in said second aspect in that the circular knitting needle comprises a first and second knitting needle according to the first aspect of the disclosure, wherein the knitting needle has a or the knitting needle rear part which is formed at an end of the holding shaft that faces away from the knitting needle tip, and the circular knitting needle furthermore comprises a cord which connects the two knitting needles at their knitting needle rear parts and is intended for holding and guiding the stitches, wherein the cord is in each case connected to the holding shaft by means of the knitting needle rear part, wherein the knitting needle rear part is, for this purpose, in particular compressed with the holding shaft. The preferred embodiments and developments according to the first aspect of the disclosure are also preferred developments and embodiments according to the second aspect. A circular knitting needle which comprises a first and a second knitting needle according to the first aspect of the disclosure takes on the above-described advantages. By means of a cord connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle rear parts, the stitches are held and guided securely, and therefore, with such a circular knitting needle, knitting can be carried out continuously in a circle in order to knit a tubular knitted product.

Conventionally, however, such a circular knitting needle is not used exclusively for circular knitting in the actual sense, but rather alternate rows of stitches are knitted, and the connection of the two individual knitting needles via the cord then serves for receiving and holding the currently knitted row of stitches and prevents said currently knitted row of stitches from slipping down from the knitting needle. As a result, particularly wide knitted products having long rows of stitches can be knitted.

The cord is preferably formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic. A monofilament is a yarn consisting of a single filament with conventionally a diameter of greater than 0.1 mm and virtually endless length. It is conventionally produced from a thermoplastic material, for example by what is referred to as melt spinning. A thermoplastic permits simple and cost-effective production and is robust and expandable. In particular, the cord is formed from a polyamide.

According to a preferred refinement, the cord comprises a substantially constant cord diameter and an end section which is adjacent to the knitting needle rear part, wherein the end section is formed correspondingly with respect to the knitting needle rear part and has an increased cord diameter. A gentle transition from the knitting needle rear part to the end section of the cord is therefore provided, and stitches are prevented from remaining hanging on said transition. The thermoplastic cord can be heated, for example, to a temperature above the glass transition temperature and subsequently compressed. By means of the compression, the cord can be thickened in the end section in such a manner that the outside diameter of the cord in the end section corresponds to the outside diameter of the end-side part of the knitting needle rear part. The knitting needle rear part therefore merges without a step into the cord and in particular into the end section of the cord.

According to a third aspect of the disclosure, the object mentioned at the beginning is furthermore achieved by a method for producing a knitting needle, in particular a knitting needle of the type mentioned at the beginning. This also serves for explaining the first two aspects mentioned. In such a method, the object mentioned at the beginning is achieved in that the method comprises the steps of: a) providing a cylindrical, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece, b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces into contact with the metal piece, c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the pressing surfaces into a triangular or square cross section, with the gripping surfaces having in each case a plurality of rounded transition regions and elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, wherein the pressing surfaces each have a corresponding recess for each elevation.

Here, a simple and commercially available production method produces a knitting needle which provides the advantages mentioned at the beginning according to the first and second aspect of the disclosure. The pressing of the cylindrical metal piece by means of the at least three pressing surfaces into a triangular, preferably square cross section, produces gripping surfaces which permit simple handling of the knitting needle. Furthermore, the pressing of the cylindrical metal piece with the pressing surfaces, which, in the fully formed state of the metal piece, are in contact only in sections with the surface of the metal piece, forms a holding shaft with an in particular triangular or square cross section and rounded corners. By means of the pressing surfaces which, in the fully formed state of the metal piece, are in contact only in sections with the surface of the metal piece, free regions continue to remain on the surface of the metal piece, said free regions also continuing to have the rounding and therefore forming a rounded transition between two adjacent gripping surfaces. By means of such a rounding, pleasant handling is obtained and, for example, pressure points at user's hands are avoided.

By means of the elevations which are produced by means of such a method and are distributed in the longitudinal direction of the knitting needle, furthermore the slipping of the knitting needle in a user's hand is reduced. Such elevations can be produced either by pressing a cylindrical, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece together with the pressing of the metal piece or can be formed on the gripping surfaces of the formed metal piece in a subsequent process step.

According to a preferred refinement, the method furthermore comprises the steps of: d) forming, in particular reducing a front end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle tip, and/or e) forming, in particular reducing an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle rear part. Where a knitting needle tip or a knitting needle rear part which is formed integrally on the end side of the holding shaft is therefore produced by forming, in particular reducing. By means of such forming, in particular reducing, the strength in the front or rear section of the metal piece is furthermore increased.

These advantages, thus achieved, of the production method also makes it possible to recognize by way of the knitting needle produced in this manner that it has been produced by such a method. For example, a rounding which remains during the pressing of a round workpiece in a region which had no contact with a pressing tool differs from a rounding rounded by grinding or milling. In particular, there are no grinding marks, the transition from rounding to flat region is continuous and/or compressed or extended sections can arise and be visible in the region of the rounding during the pressing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a knitting needle according to the disclosure according to a first preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a circular knitting needle according to the disclosure according to a second preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a circular knitting needle according to the disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a holding shaft of a knitting needle according to the disclosure.

FIG. 5a shows a metal piece and a tool for producing a holding shaft in a starting state.

FIG. 5b shows the metal piece and the tool for producing the holding shaft according to FIG. 5a in a final state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows schematically a knitting needle 1 with a knitting needle tip 2 for entwining stitches, and a holding shaft 4 extending from the knitting needle tip 2 in a shaft longitudinal direction L.

Arranged on the holding shaft 4, adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2, are a plurality of elevations 6 which are distributed in the longitudinal direction L.

The knitting needle tip 2 is formed on the end side in a tapering and preferably conically and pointed manner such that stitches can be received in a simple manner.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the holding shaft 4 comprises three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 which each have a plurality of elevations 6.

The gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are substantially flat and extend along the shaft in the shaft longitudinal direction L. The elevations 6 are of elongate design here and are arranged transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction L.

As the detailed illustration of the cross section with the circumference U of the holding shaft 4 according to FIG. 1 shows, the holding shaft 4 has a substantially triangular cross section, and the three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are each arranged at an angle of preferably 60 degrees relative to the respectively adjacent gripping surface 8, 10, 12.

The gripping surfaces 8, 10 are connected to each other by a first rounded region 16, the gripping surfaces 10, 12 are connected to each other by a second rounded region 18, and the gripping surfaces 12, 8 are connected to each other by a third rounded region 20.

FIG. 2 shows a second preferred exemplary embodiment of a knitting needle 1′. The knitting needle 1′ comprises a knitting needle tip 2′ for entwining stitches and a holding shaft 4′ which extends from the knitting needle tip 2′ in a shaft longitudinal direction L and has four gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14.

Arranged on each of the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 are a plurality of elevations 6′ which are spaced apart from one another in the shaft longitudinal direction L and extend along the gripping surfaces 8′, 10′, 12′, 14′ transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction L.

As the detailed illustration according to FIG. 2 shows, the holding shaft 4′ has a substantially rectangular, in particular square cross section with a circumference U′.

The gripping surfaces 10′, 14′ are arranged here parallel to and spaced apart from one another, and the gripping surfaces 12′, 8′ are likewise arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, wherein the gripping surfaces 10′, 14′ run orthogonally with respect to the gripping surfaces 8′, 12′.

In each case two adjacent gripping surfaces, such as, for example, gripping surfaces 10′, 12′, are in each case connected to each other by a rounded transition region 18′. The remaining gripping surfaces 8′, 10′, 12′, 14′ are connected to one another in an identical manner by means of the rounded transition regions 16′, 20′, 22′.

During knitting, a user therefore has the choice, by rotating the knitting needle 1′ about the knitting needle longitudinal axis L, to change between four holding positions and in each case to hold two gripping surfaces 8′, 10′, 12′, 20′, which are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, between the fingers.

FIG. 2 also shows a detail A of the cross-sectional view. Of the cross section, said detail A contains the two gripping surfaces 8′ and 14′ and the rounded transition region 22′. For the rounded transition region 22′, an auxiliary circle 21′ is shown by dashed lines for illustrative purposes, from which the rounded transition region 22′ forms a circular segment. For the auxiliary circle, the radius thereof is shown which is at the same time the rounding radius R_(R) of the rounded transition region 22′.

FIG. 3 shows a circular knitting needle 100 with a first and a second knitting needle 1 which each have a knitting needle tip 2 and a holding shaft 4 extending from the knitting needle tip 2 in the shaft longitudinal direction L. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference signs as in FIG. 1 have been partly selected because there are preferably also corresponding conformities.

The holding shaft 4 in a known manner comprises at least three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, (cf. FIG. 1) and a plurality of elevations 6 arranged on the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, preferably adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2.

The elevations 6 are arranged spaced apart from one another in the shaft longitudinal direction L (cf. FIG. 1).

The knitting needles 1 furthermore in each case comprise a knitting needle rear part 24 which is formed at an end of the holding shaft 4 that faces away from the knitting needle tip 2.

Furthermore, the circular knitting needle 100 comprises a cord 26 which connects the two knitting needles 1 at their knitting needle rear parts 24 and are intended for guiding and holding stitches.

The cord 26 is connected here to the holding shaft 4 with the aid of the knitting needle rear part 24, and therefore the stitches pass over the knitting needle tip 2 and the holding shaft 4 to the cord 24 and are held and guided on the latter.

Such a cord 26 is preferably formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic material, particularly preferably polyamides, such as, for example, nylon or perlon, or is completely formed from such a material.

As the schematic illustration of the knitting needle tip 2′ and of the adjoining holding shaft 4′ according to FIG. 4 shows, the holding shaft 4′ has the shaft circumference U′.

The elevations 6′ are arranged spaced apart from one another at an elevation spacing A. The elevation spacing A preferably corresponds here to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U′.

Furthermore, the elevations 6′ preferably have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference U′.

Furthermore, the rounded transition region, shown here by way of example at the transition region 16′, has a rounding radius R_(R) which is smaller than 1/10 of the shaft circumference U′.

Furthermore, the elevations 6′ preferably each have in sections a partially cylindrical form with a radius R_(E). The radius R_(E) preferably has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R_(R) of the rounded transition region 16′.

FIGS. 5a and 5b schematically show the production of the holding shaft 4′ by forming.

FIG. 5a shows a metal piece 28 and a tool 30 in a starting state. The tool 30 has four pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 which are each in contact in sections with the metal piece and to which a respective pressing force F is applied. The metal piece 28 is designed here as a hollow cylinder and is illustrated in cross section. It has a cylindrical wall 27 with a wall thickness 29.

FIG. 5b shows the holding shaft 4′ in an end state in which the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 have come into contact with the metal piece 28 and have been acted upon with the force F such that four gripping surfaces 8′, 10′, 12′ and 14′ are formed.

By means of the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38, which are preferably part of a pressing tool (not shown), the preferably cylindrical metal piece 28 is pressed into an in particular square cross section with rounded transition regions 16′, 18′, 20′, 22′. In the final state, the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 are in contact only in sections with the holding shaft 4′, and therefore the rounded form of the metal piece 28 is substantially obtained in the region of the transition regions 16′, 18′, 20′, 22′.

The wall 27 according to FIG. 5a may also have changed during this deformation, which is indicated in FIG. 5b by the changed wall 27*. For example, the pressing operation may result in buckling points 31 which are indicated in FIG. 5b and are shown only by way of example for other deformations of the wall 27 to form the wall 27*.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure. 

1. A knitting needle, comprising: a knitting needle tip for entwining stitches and a holding shaft which extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction and has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle, wherein the gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction, and wherein in each case two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.
 2. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the holding shaft has four gripping surfaces which are each arranged in pairs parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the holding shaft has a substantially square cross section.
 3. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces that is adjacent to the knitting needle tip.
 4. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft, in a deformation step a cylindrical, cross-sectionally circular, hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed such that at least three pressing surfaces come into contact with the metal piece and such that the at least three gripping surfaces are formed.
 5. The knitting needle according to claim 4, wherein, in the deformation step, the cylindrical metal piece is pressed in a pressing tool by at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces substantially simultaneously into a triangular, or square cross section with the rounded transition regions.
 6. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction are produced in the deformation step or in a further deformation step by a pressing surface or the pressing surfaces each having a corresponding recess for each elevation.
 7. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the holding shaft has a shaft circumference U and the elevations are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and/or the elevations have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference.
 8. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein each rounded transition region in each case has a rounding radius R_(R) which is smaller than 1/10 and/or greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a or the shaft circumference, and/or the elevations each have in sections a partially cylindrical shape with an elevation radius R_(E) and are oriented transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction, wherein the elevation radius R_(E) has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R_(R) of the rounded transition region.
 9. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical metal piece comprises aluminum, copper and/or brass.
 10. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft in the deformation step a hollow-cylindrical metal piece having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm is deformed.
 11. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the knitting needle tip is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine.
 12. The knitting needle according to claim 1, furthermore comprising: a knitting needle rear part which is formed at an end of the holding shaft that faces away from the knitting needle tip, wherein the knitting needle rear part is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine.
 13. A circular knitting needle, comprising: a first and a second knitting needle according to claim 12; and a cord connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle rear parts and intended for guiding and holding the stitches, wherein the cord is connected to the holding shaft by the knitting needle rear part, wherein the knitting needle rear part is compressed with the holding shaft.
 14. The circular knitting needle according to claim 13, wherein the cord is formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic.
 15. The circular knitting needle according to claim 14, wherein the cord comprises a substantially constant cord diameter and an end portion which is adjacent to the knitting needle rear part, is formed correspondingly with respect to the knitting needle rear part and has an increased cord diameter.
 16. A method for producing a knitting needle according to claim 1, comprising: a) providing a hollow-cylindrical metal piece; b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces into contact with the metal piece; and c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the pressing surfaces into a triangular or square cross section, with gripping surfaces having in each case a plurality of rounded transition regions and elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, wherein the pressing surfaces each have a corresponding recess for each elevation.
 17. The method according to claim 16, furthermore comprising the steps of: d) forming a front end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle tip; and/or e) forming an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle rear part.
 18. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the knitting needle is metallic. 